Streetside hubs take UK high street into the digital age

Street furniture maker Trueform is bringing to life Maximus’ concept to reimagine the public call box

The interactive kiosks will be rolling out across the UK next year

Maximus Networks, a British smart city telecoms company, is investing £150m in a national network of over 2,000 interactive streetside hubs across the UK.

On the back of its plans, it has commissioned signage and street furniture manufacturer, Trueform, to manufacture the Max 3 hubs which will be installed on high streets across the country throughout 2019 and beyond.

Smart city functions

Trueform is the main supplier of Transport for London’s bus shelters, wayfinding signage and digital infrastructure.

Max 3 has been devised to provide out-of-home connectivity alongside smart city functions, such as pollution and traffic monitoring and weather data capture in addition to free wi-fi, phone calls, wayfinding and rapid device charging.

According to Maximus, through app-based interactive screens, the hubs provide many public safety and information benefits including access to Childline, access to emergency services, emergency activated cameras to be activated if citizens feel threatened as well as public information displays that can be used by councils to promote local services and initiatives.

Local businesses are also set to benefit through the ability to promote local offers, drive footfall to local stores, and interact digitally with consumers, helping to reinvigorate the high street.

The hubs will also provide an integrated network of 4G and 5G connectivity. Acting together, as an integrated network, they will help to expand existing 4G and new 5G coverage across the UK’s cities, towns and villages.

Maximus claims its network will be instrumental in connecting public spaces, both rural and urban, and provide the power behind the development of Internet of Things such as autonomous vehicles to help make cities safer and smarter.

"By upgrading public telecommunications we are connecting communities and bringing our cities, town and villages into the digital age, make life easier and better for all citizens”

“We’re delighted to be in a position to invest significantly in the upgrading of the UK’s public telecoms infrastructure. Working with Trueform on the design and build of the Max 3 hub, we have created the world’s most technologically advanced hub with unrivalled functionality,” said Ashley Smatt, CEO of Maximus Networks.

“In order to adapt to the challenges of today and tomorrow our cities need to become ‘smart’. By upgrading public telecommunications we are connecting communities and bringing our cities, town and villages into the digital age, making life easier and better for all citizens.”

Similar initiatives have been rolled out in other countries, such as LinkNYC in New York City.

Maximus is undertaking extensive consultation with central and local government, as well as businesses and charities, as it rolls out the next generation network of interactive streetside hubs.

“Maximus has taken digital streetside hubs way beyond anything that exists in the market,” added Jonathan Morley, CEO of Trueform Group.

“Combining incredible design with innovation, it is exciting to be part of the next wave of technology towards making our cities smart and delivering tangible benefits to citizens, councils, charities and businesses.”